was all-important and that conduct did not really matter, John now declares the reality that sin and its practice are irreconcilable with the nature of Christianity. John has mentioned sin before (1:7, 8, 9; 2:1, 12), but now in verses 4–9 he mentions the concept of sin no fewer than ten times. John points out the true nature of sin (vv. 4–5) and that its practice establishes the distinctness between the two classes of humanity (vv. 6–8a). . John shows
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